From what I understand...

[silverthorne]

Most women look for a purse that can carry their cell phone, their huge wallet with the checkbook and 15 million cards (credit, health, store), the pictures of family, things for the baby if they have one (or sometimes even if they don't), various drugs, gum and/or something snacky, and oft times these days, an MP3 player or some such device if their cell phone can't manage that as well.

Me?

I look for the smallest purse that''ll let me carry my guy's wallet, a mini-sketchbook , pencils, a pen and a 'regular' spiral notebook in it. Being able to include the cell phone I keep leaving off and my MP3 player are nice bonuses. :)

Comments

[rebl1969.livejournal.com]

You're just like my sister-in-law; she's the same way.

I saw an interesting short documentary last year where the filmmaker invited women in to have their purse contents cataloged. Then they did a neat stop-motion montage of the items. I wish it had been longer because I would have liked for them to tell some stats and percentages of said contents.

I carry a medium-sized shoulder bag. It contains:
Billfold
Checkbook
Calculator
Small calendar/planner
Small notebook and several pens
A canvas pouch which containing sudafed, ibuprofen, my asthma inhaler, small hand lotion, chapstick, emery board and nail clipper
Glasses (in case)
Sunglasses (not in case)
iPod
Cell phone
In the zippered compartment off to the side, where it's not in my way, I keep emergency backup feminine hygine products, an extra pen, a few tea bags (for when I get to meetings that only serve coffee), business cards, and a small photo of Jon Bon Jovi (shameful but true).

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

Heh. I'd prolly have a pic of him too, except first I'd have to get a few photos of my own family in there. *g*

In all honesty, I rarely use a purse. When I'm out shopping or visiting, I tend to keep my 'load' down to my ID, the debit card, sunglasses if I need them, and occasionally the cell phone if I remember it (I'm so bad about not taking my cell phone and/or actually leaving it on so I know when folks are calling). Just about all of that can fit in my jeans pockets, or clipped to a loop (I'll leave the sunglasses in the car or hung on the front of my shirt if I'm going inside).

My other two travel modes are 'might need entertainment', which usually entails a backpack with artsy stuff, wallet stuff, a few drugs and the MP3 player and the Clie w/a portable keyboard when it was working. If I'm getting really fancy, the laptop case (and the laptop) comes out to carry everything. But that's only if I know I'll be Somewhere Else for a while and have plenty of time to be bored out of my skull. A book to read is often included at that point as well. :).

The purse is mostly my placebo packing for going to work. If I have time to goof off, it's usually only enough for, say, making notes on story ideas or messing around with an ongoing sketch, so I don't need to pack much. Things like drugs and stuff are already stored in my desk. *g*

[rebl1969.livejournal.com]

See, I've got The Commute to deal with, and when I need something like my inhaler, I need it *then*, so it goes with me all the time. And also I don't like things in my pockets outside of the occasional spare change and Chapstick.
My current purse is getting old and I'm going to be sad when it tears up. It's just the right size for the things I carry, so it's not too heavy, and it has a shoulder strap so I can sling it over cross-ways of my chest and still have both hands free for Sophie and car keys and so forth, and it has a little pouch on each end which neatly holds the cell phone in one and the iPod in the other, so no need to dig when the phone rings. AND it fits exactly between the two front seats in the CR-V so everything is at hand (ATM card fer instance) but it doesn't tump over while I'm driving. And it was only like $20 at Target. Had I known I would like it so much I would have bought two and set one back for later.

Books, magazines and/or the newspaper, lunch and a change of shoes go in a separate tote bag on work days. Yup, I'm one of those two-bag women. But I'd rather carry two smaller bags that one ginormous one.

[silverthorne.livejournal.com]

*nods* yah, and see, I'm the kind of person that hates having to carry anything extra if I don't have to. Trying to juggle a purse, glasses, cell phone, etc. just annoys me, so I just go as light as I possibly can for what I intend to do. But then, I don't need inhalers and the like, so I can get away with it.

[rebl1969.livejournal.com]

The purse-documentary people used to have a web site but I can't find it now. A shame.

[chiss.livejournal.com]

I hate a totebag type thing that carries my wallet, keys, small leatherbound sketchbook, pencils and maybe a bottle of water. And maybe a book in case I get stuck somewhere waiting.